The Power of a Star Rating: Differential Effects of Customer Rating Formats on Magnitude Perceptions and Consumer Reactions
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2024
Keywords
rating formats, customer ratings and reviews, digital marketing
Abstract
Average product ratings are displayed on many major websites, including online retailers, search engines, and social media sites. Research in both academia and industry has shown that consumers rely heavily on product ratings when making purchase decisions. Websites may show customer ratings in different shapes, colors, or formats. For example, some websites present their rating in a numerical format (e.g., 4.0/5) while others utilize an analog format (e.g., ). The present research investigates how a website's rating presentation may influence magnitude perceptions of the rating, which subsequently affect choices and purchase intentions. The authors propose and find that when the average customer rating is at or above the midpoint (i.e., .5–.9) of each rating level (i.e., 1–5 on a five-point scale), the numerical (vs. analog) rating format is perceived to be lower in magnitude due to left-digit anchoring, leading to differences in choice likelihood, purchase intent, and ad click likelihood for products and services. Across nine experiments, including an eye-tracking study and a multiple-ad study without holdout, the findings show robust evidence for the proposed effect.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1177/00222437241240694
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Journal of Marketing Research, v. 61, issue 6, p. 1041-1057
Scholar Commons Citation
Abell, Annika; Morgan, Carter; and Romero, Marisabel, "The Power of a Star Rating: Differential Effects of Customer Rating Formats on Magnitude Perceptions and Consumer Reactions" (2024). School of Marketing and Innovation Faculty Publications. 12.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/mai_facpub/12
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
